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Post by AEUG on Feb 16, 2015 0:08:48 GMT
The Zodiac Squadron had survived to return to space aboard one of the shuttles from the Cape Kennedy spaceport, alongside Commander Quattro. The Polaris had been in company with the AEUG flagship Argama as they returned to space, and had quickly recovered the Zodiac Squadron, and her Rick Diases. The Rechts had remained dirtside, with the AEUG's terrestrial component under Captain Kobayashi.
The Polaris and her battle group had quickly gotten underway for Luna, leaving the Argama to her business. Their destination was not AEUG HQ at Granada, but rather the 'neutral' city of Von Braun, where the AEUG's largest weapons manufacturer, Anaheim Electronics, was headquartered. Rumors were already flying about the ship that new mobile suits were in the pipeline as they headed towards Von Braun.
And all the while, the Polaris was rife with rumors about the pilot locked in their brig...
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Post by Fred Castle on Feb 18, 2015 1:48:01 GMT
Even if he no longer had one, and room had been at a premium, Fred didn't like leaving the GMs behind, if only because it left them with a grand total of three Mobile Suits, Steiner's, his own, and LeNoire's. Even if the Rick Dias was a good machine, they weren't going to me much of a threat if anything came up, not with just three Suits. But they were headed to Luna, and the rumor was that they were going to get some new models to replenish their supply of Suits, but the rumor was always about some new model, everyone wanted to see a new machine after all, he still remembered seeing his old C Type for the first time during the last month of the war. This Dias was the fourth Mobile Suit he'd piloted, and the first truly new model since the RGM-79 he had during most of the war, by way of not being a GM model.
They had gotten to see the Argama though, and that Mk II had seemed pretty good, it had made him think of the RX-79s he'd seen at Torrington after the war more than the famous RX-78 that it was based on, but those RX-79s weren't anything special, though they had some nice equipment. Gundams were famous due to the RX-78 piloted by Amuro Ray, but they'd taken back Australia without the help of a single Gundam so Fred couldn't help but feel underwhelmed about the new one, even if he hadn't seen it all that much. Still he'd liked it more than that gold Hyaku Shiki, he heard it could defend against beams, but he felt that it's coloring would make it stand out so much that it would attract too much fire anyway.
He would have liked to stay on Earth a bit longer rather than coming back up to space, but they had a job to do and besides they'd needed to bring Anderson to see the boss. The former Titan pilot was locked in the brig, alive of course but Fred doubted that his mood had improved at all. Although it wasn't as if he had much to look forward to, even more so if everyone had agreed with Steiner, but Fred expected the other man to go on about how they just either wanted to throw him out on the moon or just out into open space rather than the fall from the Garuda. Or hell, maybe tie him to the barrel of one of the ship's guns and blast him.
Either way, as far as he knew Fred didn't have anything that he needed to be doing right now so he was spending his time in the gym, there wasn't anything wrong with his machine so he wasn't going to waste his time looking over it again unless someone told him to. Besides, working out always felt great, but it still felt odd when he started lifting weights in the artificial gravity on the ship since it wasn't quite the same as how gravity worked on Earth.
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Post by Lars Langstrom on Feb 18, 2015 3:54:01 GMT
"Bring him to me."
Those were the orders he gave to his security officer. While waiting, he began to brew a pot of tea and a list of ideas on what to do about Jim. He couldn't stay in the brig forever. Blex already deferred his judgment to Lars- something that he pushed for after hearing about the incident. A trio of guards would show up at Jim's cell with orders to relocate. Langstrom waited merrily while occasionally looking at the door Anderson was about to be dumped in from. I hope they aren't too hard on him.
Then there was the Lieutenant and his report. Lars parsed the report. Revenge, is it? Even before, the odds of him being a spy were slim. He had to see, though. He had to find out for himself. Before Jim left, the verdict was going to be delivered.
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Post by Jim Anderson on Feb 19, 2015 3:33:35 GMT
Trade one Brig for another, still with nothing but a flight bag for a change of clothes. Meh. At least they didn't poach Great-Granddad's 1911 he thought. He had voluntarily surrendered the three mags of custom ammo for it, but had cited the uselessness of a pistol with no bullets. And the fact that its personal property helps he thought, rolling over on the uncomfortable cot. A rattle at the hatch sparked a glance from him, and arched an eyebrow as 3 security types came in. "Captain wants to see you. Let's go" one of them barked. Jim shrugged, kicking off the wall and joining them for the float down the null-gee to the Captain.
As they reached Langstrom's office, Jim just shrugged. Without bothering to knock - or let the guards announce him - Jim kicked into Lars' office and settled onto one of the couches unbidden. "This the part where I get to pick if the bullet comes in the left ear or the right?" he asked with that same smartass expression.
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Post by Edward LeNoire on Feb 20, 2015 2:25:02 GMT
Eddy was thankful for the privacy and solitude of having his own quarters aboard ship, of not having to worry about roommates barging in and disrupting his contemplation or partaking in absinthe, both of which he was doing at the moment as he stared at the blank monitor screen of the terminal. He clasped the half-glass in his right hand, swirling it around as he took another sip of the green liquid. “Finest kind”, he quietly said to himself.
They had been lucky to return to space at all. The Titans had been persistent, trailing the Audhumla all the way to Cape Canaveral aboard another Garuda with a full complement of mechs. As usual, they had a lousy sense of timing, arriving on the scene just as the launch countdown began ticking.
Kobayashi had scrambled his pilots and a motley assortment of mechs obsolete and otherwise to hold off the Titans until the shuttles safely launched. A firefight broke out in short order with much of the facility getting trashed and blasted to kingdom come. The atmosphere aboard the shuttles quickly filled with enough tension and silent panic to choke the air. But Eddy managed to keep his cool, having spent enough times on the razor’s edge with no easy way out.
But battle aside, both shuttles launches went off without a hitch and the Audhumla managed to flee Cape Canaveral carrying whatever pilots had survived to fight another day. The shuttles rendezvoused with their proper ships, allowing Eddy to get a brief glimpse of the Argama. Its profile and design reminded him of the Stallion in many respects, no doubt the intention of the designer. Now they were en route to Von Braun, home to Anaheim’s headquarters and manufacturing muscle. Wouldn’t be surprised if Anaheim and the AEUG higher-ups have some brand new toys for us to try out...
For now however, Eddy continued to enjoy his quiet drink, hoping that for once, no one – not even a beautiful woman – would interrupt his contemplation.
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Post by Lars Langstrom on Feb 20, 2015 2:49:23 GMT
"This the part where I get to pick if the bullet comes in the left ear or the right?" [/font] [/quote] "I don't recall ever giving that order."Lars chuckled and motioned his guest to a chair across from him while he fiddled with the pot on the end table of his sofa. "The tea leaves have just finished steeping. Why don't you have a seat?"He carefully put the tray on the coffee table in between them. The captain wasted no time in getting to the point. "Before you joined the AEUG, why did you go AWOL?"
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Post by Jim Anderson on Feb 21, 2015 3:26:49 GMT
Right, Langstrom. You've got a field-grade Titan here, and you aren't going to Just Shoot Him. Sure he thought, suppressing a desire to roll his eyes as the Zeke went on about tea. Funny, I thought it was Jamitov and his pricks who were the spot of tea schmucks he thought as he sat down. Jim ignored the tea as Langstrom launched right in to the heart of the matter between them. An anonymous, tortured scream resonated somewhere in the back of Jim's mind from memory. There was the barest flicker of recognition in Jim's eyes, a twitch of his mouth as memories of the worst kind flashed through him.
That was only a flicker, though, and two level eyes crossed the table. "Bask the Bastard showed his true colors. I wasn't gonna be caught dead in a unit that promoted him after he gassed an entire colony. Fuck'em" he said, still flippant and don't-give-a-damn.
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Post by Lars Langstrom on Feb 21, 2015 5:53:56 GMT
"Bask the Bastard showed his true colors. I wasn't gonna be caught dead in a unit that promoted him after he gassed an entire colony. Fuck'em" "But you feel partly responsible, correct?"; He rolled the liquid gently around in his cup, enjoying its aroma, and took the conversation in a completely new direction. That self assuring smile only made his intentions more ambiguous. I know you better than you think, Anderson."That was a nice harvest. You should try your tea. For tea, you have to be careful. If you don't let it steep properly, you ruin the flavor."
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Post by Jim Anderson on Feb 22, 2015 1:43:15 GMT
Jim took the opportunity to put on his best poker face as Lars asked if he felt partly responsible for the atrocities the Titans had committed. "I didn't pull any triggers at anything other than legitimate military targets" he said defensively, tilting his head. "Remnant bastard who wanted a repeat of the worst parts of the War, trying to nuke a colony" he said, the challenge in his tone implicit as he brought up that the Titans weren't the only ones with dirty laundry.
He chuckled as Langstrom mentioned knowing him better than he thought. You really don't, Zeke he thought, shrugging. "I'll take your word on the tea" he said, waiting to see where this was going
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Post by Lars Langstrom on Feb 22, 2015 3:51:39 GMT
"I didn't pull any triggers at anything other than legitimate military targets. Remnant bastard who wanted a repeat of the worst parts of the War, trying to nuke a colony"
"That's not the problem. You believed in the Titans, but didn't want to watch their ideology taken to their own logical conclusion. Now, they arrested control of the Earth Federation Forces.""Zeonism is less of an ideology and more of a power structure, where its center was totalitarian state that existed only to justify itself. It is formless, emerging from a primordial ooze of lust and power. Hilda and I joined not to revive Zeon, but to prevent its revival in whatever form it may take.""You didn't end up here just to kill Titans. Maybe you were looking for redemption, or maybe you were looking to find your way again. I'm not going to pass judgment on you, but it's your duty to reconcile your beliefs before this is over."
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Post by Jim Anderson on Feb 24, 2015 3:09:40 GMT
Jim felt his jaw clench as Langstrom launched into a self-righteous speech about why Jim 'was really here'. Right. Because revenge for the death of one of my closest friends isn't a good reason to come out and fight he thought, eyes boring right back at Langstrom. 'Logical conclusion'? Zeke, pay attention, we were formed to stop atrocities and combat leftover Zekes-turned-terrorists as an elite unit. Not to take over the whole operation ourselves. That was Bask the Bastard and that prick Jamitov he cursed. "Say what you want Langstrom. I'm here to stop the Bask the Bastard and that asshole Jamitov from ruining my home. That means killing every last fucking Titan until they get the memo that you can't just sweep murdering a couple million civvies under the rug, and keep going by killing good men after that" he said, shaking his head. Who the fuck does this asshole think he is?
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Post by Marika Petrenko on Feb 28, 2015 4:08:21 GMT
Marika was doing the one thing that felt appropriate given the hectic situation they'd been going through, she was moping as she floated through the bays that held the Rick Diases. She was rid of her GM Recht despite the young woman's plans for it to meet it's demise, the suit was now safely in the hands of a dirt pounder that likerly would find a better use for it then her, maybe as a garbage hauler. While that would've been good, the continuing problems with Chuck, or Jim now. From her position below the walkway and curled up like a ball, Marika buried her face against her knees, how quickly everyone had turned on Chuck reminded her how tenuous people's allies could be.
If anything it made Marika more worried about her and her father's comrades, they'd stuck their neck out to get her into his place and if the Zeon Remants were no longer useful there were only a few solutions to the future Federation's problems. However that heavy thinking was not Marika's strong suit and she quickly shook such thoughts from her mind and focused on what was directly ahead of them. Anaheim Electronics, her previous employer before joining AEUG. The hope of something interesting was fueling the spark of happiness she still had, not to mention maybe meeting from old friends but that was still ahead of them.
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Post by Lars Langstrom on Feb 28, 2015 20:33:22 GMT
"Say what you want Langstrom. I'm here to stop the Bask the Bastard and that asshole Jamitov from ruining my home. That means killing every last fucking Titan until they get the memo that you can't just sweep murdering a couple million civvies under the rug, and keep going by killing good men after that." I don't want some hothead for my CAG. That's what Langstrom explicitly told Blex. This little chat with Anderson confirmed his worst fears. There was nothing he could do about it, except try and keep him in line. His gallant attitude immediately turned to serious and confrontational the moment he set down his cup after taking a sip. "I quite frankly Anderson I don't give a damn about your reasons, Anderson! You're just another guy who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. You're just another guy who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The last thing I want is a hothead who sends a particle beam into the hull of a civilian shuttle or a Federation warship. No mistakes. You keep shit in in order and follow the rules of engagement. We're here to aid sympathizers within the Federation into ousting Jamitov from power- not turn half of Federated space into Solomon. You do pull that itching goddamn trigger finger of yours unless I say so, is that understood?!"Before Anderson could respond, Langstrom stood up and looked towards the wall mounted viewscreen- giving him quite the panoramic view of Earth. "I hope you're good as Quattro and Kowen say you are, because you're my new squadron leader."
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Post by Benjamin Regard on Mar 1, 2015 0:47:59 GMT
Since Zodiac’s daring escape from Florida, if you could call it that, Ben found himself in the same predicament as the other pilots without a machine to call their own. He didn’t necessarily mind per se, there wasn’t much they could do. With the Titans harassing them all the way to Kennedy, they were lucky to have made kept their three Dias and even luckier to have made it off the ground in those relics. And at least they were picked up almost immediately by not only the Polaris but even the Argama. Not a bad welcoming party in his book. Only thing that made it better was their trip to Von Braun to pick up some new rides.
“Anaheim, huh,” he mumbled, biting into his sandwich as he looked across hangar to Polaris’ only mobile suits. He’d never been there himself but if the Rick Dias was anything to go by, he’d get to see some real good stuff. The AEUG was pretty fortunate too, what with Von Braun was slipping them stuff on the side instead of the Titans. Things were hard enough without one of your supporters turning coat or starting witch hunts. Chuck’s situation was already a pain, last thing Ben wanted was to walk in and see the black uniforms waiting for him.
“Nah, get it together, man. They’ve been good to us so far, no need to jinx it.” Taking another bite, he turned towards the nearest exit before stopping short, eyes looking upward to the walkway above. For a moment he thought he was seeing things but there was definitely something just floating there. After a few moments, it clicked that it was actually one of Zodiac, Petrenko in fact. Hell of a spot to take a snooze.
“I get that things are dull without any action but you’re really gonna sleep out here?”
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Post by Jim Anderson on Mar 1, 2015 21:06:14 GMT
Jim listened as Langstrom ranted. I don't give a damn either, Langstrom. Like I said, I'm here to kill Black Legs. And if I can keep some of these kids alive, then I suppose I'll do that to - oh, you son of a bitch he thought, visibly bristling as Langstrom suggested he was so lost to reason that he'd fire on civilians or surrendering Federals. His eyes narrowed, boring into Langstrom with barely-contained disdain. I'm fucking here exactly for objecting to that, moron he thought. "You don't need to worry about me going off half-cocked, Langstrom. Unlike my former colleagues, some of us actually are here to protect innocent life" he half-snarled. Of course, the next bit he heard tilted his head. Squadron Commander, you say? he thought, the fire in his eyes clearing. "Not sure the team'll like that much, Langstrom, but they'll have to live with it. I'll keep'em in line" he said, in what was probably the first time anyone who knew him had heard him semi-serious outside the cockpit.
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